Excavating machine



J1me 1962 v v. s. PENOTE 3,037,305

EXCAVATING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ViucmT S. Pmo'rz nT'r RNEys June 5, 1962 v. s. PENOTE 3,037,305

EXCAVATING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1960 4 Sheets$heet 2 INVENTOR.

VfNceN'r 5. Fewer: BY

HTTORNEYS June 5, 1962 v. s. PENOTE 3,037,305

EXCAVATING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

vi c uT 5. PENOTE I Tame HTTDRNEYS June 5, 1962 v. s. PENOTE EXCAVATING MACHINE 4 Sheets$heet 4 Filed June 24, 1960 R m N w W.

Tune 1- I? TTORNEyS Patented June 5, 1962 poration of @hio Filed June 24-, 1960, Ser. No. 38,622 14 Claims. (@l. 37-91) This invention relates in general to mobile excavating machines and more particularly to an improved excavating unit for the machine.

In the conventional utilization of a mobile excavating machine, the excavating unit, which includes an endless series of buckets preferably having rooter teeth mounted on their leading edges, is moved to force the buckets and associated rooter teeth into the earth to scoop up soil and move it to a discharge station on the machine, where some mechanism, such as a conveyor, is adapted to receive the loads from the buckets for discharging the excavated material to a side of the excavation.

The buckets are conventionally provided with a plurality of laterally spaced fingers or tines extending inwardly from the rear edge of the bucket to form a semi-open back for the respective bucket. This arrangement of tined-backed buckets is conventionally used in clay types, or wet and sticky soils, with the tines assisting in and being adequate for retaining a load of such soil in the respective bucket, but permitting the buckets to pass stationary cleaner members which may project into the bucket between the tines, for forcibly ejecting the bucket load. However, when the excavating machine With such type of semi-open backed or tined buckets is operating in relatively sandy or loamy soil, the load is of such relatively fine or non-lumpy material that the excavated soil may readily pass through the spaced tines forming the bucket back, and thus the buckets are not optimumly eifective in retaining the load in the buckets.

Conventional practice heretofore has been to use a solid back bucket in sandy types of soils, which often times necessitates a plurality of excavating machines (those having a series of semi-open backed buckets and those having closed back buckets) for a single excavating project, since soils may vary considerably, and from the aforementioned clay types to the sandy types, in a relatively limited area.

The present invention provides a bucket back for the aforementioned semi-open or tined backed buckets, which can be readily attached to and detached from the respective bucket, so that if the excavating machine is operating in clay or wet soils, the tined-back of the bucket provides for adequate retention of the load in the bucket up to the discharge station and in the conventional manner, but if the excavating machine is operating in sandy types of soils, the bucket back of the invention may be readily attached to each of the buckets to form a solid back for the respective bucket, for optimumly retaining the sandy type of soil in the bucket up to the discharge station.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a mobile excavating machine having an improved excavating unit thereon, which provides for the ready and effective use of the machine in various types of soil.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bucket type endless excavating unit for an excavating machine, which unit embodies buckets of a semi-open backed or tined nature, for use in clay or sticky types of soils, and which can be readily adapted for use in sandy types of soils by attachment of a removable bucket back to the semi-open backed buckets, to form a solid-like type of bucket back.

Another object of the invention is to provide an excavating unit of the latter type wherein the detachable bucket back is formed of resiliently stretchable material,

such as rubber, for facilitating the installation and maintenance of the detachable back on the respective bucket.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a stretchable, resilient-like bucket back for a semi-opened or tined backed bucket of a mobile excavating machine, and which can be readily attached to and detached from the respective bucket, for providing for the efficient use of the machine in various types of soils, and wherein the bucket back member is of a relatively economical type.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, side elevational, partially broken view of a Wheel type excavating unit for a mobile excavating machine and comprising semi-open backed buckets with which the present invention is adapted for use;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, side elevational view of one of the buckets of FIG. 1 as mounted on the rings of the excavating wheel, and embodying the detachable back member of the instant invention; the rooter teeth have been eliminated from the FIG. 2 showing since they form no novel part of the instant invention;

FIG. 3 is a more or less reduced size, front end elevational view of the detachable back member per se illustrated in FIG. 2, and taken generally from the right hand end of the latter figure;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the bucket and detachable back member of FIG. 2, taken from the left hand end of the latter figure;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, rear end elevational view of one of the hook elements of the detachable bucket back member of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along line 66 of FIG. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows; I

FIG. 7 is a view generally similar to FIG. 5 but showing a modified form of hook element;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along the line 88 of FIG. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. '9 is a fragmentary, side elevational view, generally similar to FIG. 2, but showing a modified form of the detachable back member of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a rear end elevational view of the bucket as shown in FIG. 9, taken from the left hand end of the latter figure;

FIG. 11 is a reduced size, rear end elevational view of a modified form of the detachable back member of the FIGS. 9 and 10 arrangement;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view taken from the right hand side of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary side elevational view generally similar to FIGS. 2 and 9, but showing a further modification of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a rear end elevational view of the FIG. 13 bucket taken from the left hand end of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged, fragmentary, bottom plan view taken generally along line 15-15 of FIG. 13, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring again to the drawings, there is illustrated in 'FIG. 1 an arcuate portion of a mobile trenching machine digging wheel of a well known type. Such a digging wheel is adapted to be mounted upon theconventional trenching machine, briefly comprising a motor driven vehicle having at one end a carriage which rotatably supports the power driven digging wheel. The digging wheel broadly comprises a pair of spaced, annular ring portions 10 supported by rollers 12 which are carried by a carriage 14, the details of the latter arrangement being well known in the art. The rings 10 may be connected together by a series of buckets 16 attached to the rings, as by means of fasteners 18. The buckets 16 may be of the well known generally arcuate configuration illustrated, or may be of the well known square design, and are preferably provided with rooter teeth 20 mounted on the leading edges thereof, for facilitating the digging operation by the buckets. The rear of the buckets are provided with a plurality of laterally spaced fingers or tines 22 extending inwardly toward the rings 10, and forming a semiclosed back for the bucket. The tines 22 may be permanently secured to the rearward edge of the respective bucket, or may be detachably secured thereto and mounted thereon by the socket portions 22a illustrated.

In accordance with the instant invention, a detachable bucket back member 26 is provided for mounting on each bucket to substantially completely close the back of the latter if the excavating machine is being used in sandy or loose types of soils which would ordinarily tend to pass between the rear tines of the bucket. Such a detachable back member preferably comprises a sheetlike piece of resiliently stretchable material, such as rubber, which is adapted to be attached in tensioned relation to the rearward end of a bucket, to form the closed bucket back.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 to 6 inclusive, a plurality of hook-like elements 28 are secured to the top edge of each stretchable sheet and as by means of fasteners 30 to hold the back member on the bucket. Elements 28 are adapted to be received in spaced openings 32 disposed adjacent the rearward edge of the bucket and as best shown in FIG. 2. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the bottom of the detachable back member 26 is clasped between a pair of plate-like elements 34, 34a, which preferably extend the full transverse width of the stretchable back member 26. Plate elements 34, 340: are held in secured relation, as by means of fasteners 36. A tubular element 38 is secured in parallel extending relation to plate 34, as by means of welds, and receives therethrough a rod element 40. The ends of rod 40 are received in aligned openings 42 in the rings 10 of the digging wheel, and thus hold the bottom of the back member to the digging unit. The back member 26 is preferably placed in tension during mounting thereof on the bucket, by stretching the rubberlike material lengthwise thereof, or in other words from the anchored top downwardly, so that it possesses a selfretaining action to hold the rod member 40 in place without the need of fasteners or the like. In other words, the distance between the top and bottom connections of the back member to the digging unit is greater than the height or length of the back member in its untensioned condition. Removal of the back member is accomplished by merely pulling or pushing the rod 40 out of the tube 38, and then removing the hook-like elements 28 from their complementary openings 32 in the bucket wall. The rubber-like material is sufficiently flexible in its tensioned condition that it readily molds about the from surfaces of the socket portions 22a of the tines, which socket portions, as best shown in FIG. 2, extend somewhat into the interior of the bucket. Such a resiliently stretchable back member may be readily attached to the respective bucket for providing a closed back bucket, but which can be readily detached from the bucket when the digging unit is operating in soils which are of such nature that the tines are adequate for holding the load in the bucket up to the discharge station of the excavating unit.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, there is shown a modification of the hook-like elements for holding the top of the back member to the bucket. Such hook-like elements 45 are anchored adjacent the top edge of the stretchable back member by means of eyelets 46 which provide a tear resistant and economical arrangement.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a further modification of the invention wherein the bottom portion of the stretchable back member is on its bottom boundary bent back upon itself to form an integral sleeve portion 50a, which receives a rod 52 therethrough for holding the back member in tensioned relation on the rear of the bucket, to close the back of the bucket, the rod 52 being received in aligned openings 54 in the ring members 10 of the digging wheel. In all other respects the back member 50 is generally similar to aforementioned back member 26 of the first described embodiment of the invention. In the FIG. 9 embodiment, a plurality of openings 54a, 541) are provided in each of the ring members 10 so that the position of the back element 50 with respect to the bucket can be changed. In dot-dash lines there is shown such an alternate position of the back member utilizing openings 54a in the rings 19, and it can be seen that such alternate position in effect cuts down the capacity of the bucket by moving the back member 50 further into the interior of the bucket. The sleeve portion 543a of the back member can be held or maintained in its closed condition by the use of an adhesive, many of which are known in the art, between the confronting faces of the sleeve portion, or by the use of conventional fastener elements.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show a further modification of the invention wherein the detachable back member is provided at its upper and lower boundaries with a cloth-like material 57, such as canvas, attached thereto as by means of an adhesive, which gives greater tear resistance to the upper and lower boundaries of the back member in the vicinity of the location of the hook elements which attach the upper edge of the back member to the bucket, and the lower sleeve portion 58 which is adapted to receive the rod 52 for attaching the bottom edge of the back member to the digging unit. Such cloth-like sections may be impregnated with a rubberized material to increase the rigidity of the cloth, and may be readily attached to the sheet of rubber material of the back member as by means of adhesive or the like.

Referring to FIGS. l3, l4 and 15, there is shown a further modification of the invention. In this embodiment, the bottom boundary of the back member 60 is attached to a U-shaped channel member 62 which in turn receives the free ends of the tines 22 therein, thus holding the back member 60 in stretched, assembled relation with the tines, to generally close the back of the bucket. The bottom wall of the U-shaped member is partially severed to provide depending tongues 64 which are received through complementary, preferably eyelet openings 66 adjacent the bottom edge of the back member 60, to hold the back member in assembled relation with the U-shaped attaching member.

From the foregoing description and accompanying drawings, it will be seen that the invention provides a detachable back member for ready assembly with and disassembly from a tined backed bucket of an endless digging unit of a mobile excavating machine, to provide for closure of the back of the bucket, and wherein such back member may comprise resiliently stretchable material which operates to hold the back member in assembled relation with the bucket.

The terms and expressions which have been used are used as terms of description and not of limitation and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the invention shown or described, or portions thereof, but it is understood that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

I claim:

1. A back member for a generally open backed bucket of an endless digging unit of an excavating machine, said member comprising a sheet-like portion of resiliently stretchable material, such as rubber, for closing the back of the bucket, and means along the upper and lower bound aries of said member for detachably connecting said member in operative position on the bucket, said last mentioned means including a sleeve portion adjacent the bottom boundary 'of said member and extending generally transverse thereof, said sleeve portion being adapted to receive a rod therethrough for attaching the bottom boundary of said member to the digging unit of the excavating machine.

2. A back member in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sleeve portion comprises a reversely turnedportion of the bottom section of said member, and adhesive means holding said sleeve portion in closed condition.

3. A back member in accordance with claim 1 wherein said member at the top and bottom sections thereof is provided with cloth-like material reinforcingsections, said last mentioned sections being secured to said member by an adhesive and providing a tear resistant arrangement in the vicinity of said last mentioned means.

4. A back member in accordance with claim 3 wherein said cloth-like sections extend the full transverse width of said member.

5. A back member for a generally open backed bucket of a rotary digging wheel type of mobile excavating machine, said back member comprising a sheath of resiliently stretchable material, such as rubber, for substantially closing the back of the bucket, hook-shaped elements mounted in transversely spaced relation along the upper boundary of said back member, said hook-shaped elements being adapted to coact in interlocking relation with means along the rearward edge of the bucket for detachably connecting said back member to the bucket, said member comprising a sleeve-like portion adjacent its bottom boundary extending transversely of said back member, said sleeve-like portion being adapted to receive an associated rod for detachably securing the bottom of the back member to the excavating wheel of the machine, said back member being adapted to be stretched lengthwise thereof in operative position on the bucket for providing a self-retaining action for holding the back member in assembled relation with the bucket of the excavating unit.

6. In combination, an endless bucket equipped excavating unit of a mobile excavating machine wherein the buckets are of a generally open-backed type, and a detachable back member for each of said buckets, said back member comprising a resiliently stretchable sheet-like portion connected to said unit and substantially closing the back of the respective bucket, the height of said member 'being of a lesser dimension than the distance between the connections of said member to said unit, whereby said member is disposed in generally tensioned condition, and means disposed along the upper and lower boundaries of said member detachably connecting said member in operative self-retaining position on said bucket.

7. In combination, an endless bucket equipped excavating unit of a mobile excavating machine, said excavating unit comprising a pair of laterally spaced rotatable ring members on the outer peripheries of which are mounted a plurality of circumferentially spaced buckets, a plurality of laterally spaced tines secured to the rearward end of each of said buckets, said tines extending inwardly toward said rings to form a semi-closed back for the respective bucket, a back member of resiliently stretchable material mounted on each bucket generally forwardly of said tines to substantially close the back of the bucket, and means for detachably connecting said back member in operative position on the respective bucket, said last mentioned means comprising a plurality of laterally spaced hook elements located along the upper boundary of said member and disposed intermediate said tines, said hook elements being received in interlocking coaction with means on the rearward end of the respective bucket, a sleeve portion adjacent the bottom boundary of said member in transversely extending relation thereto, and an elongated rod-like member extending through said sleeve portion and being anchored at its ends to said ring members.

8. The combination in accordance with claim 7 wherein each of said ring members is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein, the openings in one of said ring members being aligned with the respective openings in the other of said ring members, said rod-like member at its ends being received in a respective pair of: said openings, said plurality of openings providing for selectively changing the position of said rod-like member on said ring members.

9. In combination, an endless bucket equipped excavating unit of a mobile excavating machine, said excavating unit comprising a pair of laterally spaced rotatable ring members on the outer peripheries of which are mounted a plurality of circumferentially spaced buckets, said buckets tying said ring members together into an integral unit, a plurality of laterally spaced tines secured to the rearward end of each of said buckets, said tines extending inwardly toward said rings to form a semi-closed back for the respective bucket, a back member of resiliently stretchable material mounted on each bucket generally forwardly of said tines to substantially close the back of the bucket, and means for detachably connecting said back member in operative position on the respective bucket, the last mentioned means comprising a plurality of laterally spaced hook-like elements secured to said member along the upper boundary thereof and disposed intermediate said tines, said hook-like elements being received in interlocking coaction with complementary means on the rearward end of the respective bucket to anchor the upper end of said member to the bucket, a channelshaped element attached to said member along the bottom boundary thereof and extending transversely of said member, said back member being in tensioned condition lengthwise thereof with said channel-shaped element receiving the free ends of said tines therein in abutting relation to maintain said tensioned condition of said back member and thus provide a self-retaining action for holding said back member in operative position on the respective bucket.

10. The combination in accordance with claim 9 wherein said channel-shaped element is provided with partially severed portions defining outwardly projecting tongues which are received through eyelet openings disposed along the bottom section of said back member to secure said back member to said channel-shaped element.

11. A back member for a generally open backed bucket of an endless digging unit of an excavating machine, said member comprising a sheet-like portion of resiliently stretchable material, such as rubber, for closing the back of the bucket, and means along the upper and lower boundaries of said member for detachably connecting said member in operative position on the bucket, said lastmentioned means including hook-like elements secured in transversely spaced relation along the upper boundary of said member and adapted to be received in complementary openings adjacent the rearward end of an associated bucket.

12. A back member for a generally open backed bucket of an endless digging unit of an excavating machine, wherein the bucket is equipped with a plurality of laterally spaced tines secured to the rearward end of the bucket and extending generally inwardly therefrom to partially close the back of the bucket, said member comprising a sheet-like portion of resiliently stretchable material, such as rubber, for closing the back of the bucket, and means along the upper and lower boundaries of said member for detachably connecting said member in operative position on the bucket, said last mentioned means including a U-shaped element extending generally transverse of said member, and means on said element coacting with means along the bottom boundary of said member coupling said element to said member, said element being adapted to receive the free ends of the bucket tines therein in the assembled condition of said member on the bucket.

13. In combination, an endless bucket equipped excavating unit of a mobile excavating machine wherein the buckets are of generally open back type and a detachable back member for each of said buckets, said back member comprising a resiliently stretchable thin sheet-like portion connected to said unit and substantially closing the back of the respective bucket, and means disposed adjacent opposite boundaries of said member detachably connecting said member in operative self-retaining position on said bucket, the distance between said boundaries being of a lesser dimension than the distance between the connec- 10 tions of said member to said unit whereby said member is disposed in generally tensioned condition.

14. In combination, an endless bucket equipped excavating unit of a mobile excavating machine wherein the buckets are of a generally open back type and a detachable back member for a respective bucket, said back member comprising a relatively thin sheet-like portion of nonmetallic resiliently stretchable material, such as rubber, for substantially closing the back of the respective bucket,

and means generally adjacent opposite boundaries of said member detachably connecting said member in operative condition on the bucket, the dimensions between the connections of said member to the bucket being greater when said member is in installed condition on the bucket than the dimensions between said means in the untensioned, non-assembled condition of said member, whereby said member is disposed in generally tensioned condition on the bucket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,201,082 Nussbaumer Oct. 10, 1916 1,979,706 Reamy Nov. 6, 1934 2,079,052 Tamini May 4, 1937 2,163,359 Van Derveer June 20, 1939 2,443,460 Kelsey June 15, 1948 

